The Symbol of the City – The Cleveland Flag

A couple years ago, the Cleveland Indians embarked on a major renovation of Progressive Field that included adding new food stands, relocating the bullpens, adding the Corner bar, along with much more. One addition that did not receive much attention was the installation of three new flag poles- one for each of the flags of the United States, the State of Ohio, and the City of Cleveland. I thought this was a neat addition as it added local symbols of pride to the ballpark. To my dismay, though, when I would attend Tribe games with people, almost no one could recognize the Cleveland flag. Most of the time it wasn’t even noticed, but the most common question I heard was, “Why are they flying the French flag?” It occurred to me that almost nobody I know in Cleveland has an emotional attachment to our flag, despite it being one…